Original Six: Northeast's Hobey Baker hopefuls

To say the least, it has been a banner season for college hockey
in the Northeast. Boston College has stamped itself as the team to
beat in the Hockey East race, while Quinnipiac and Union have
returned among the elite of the ECAC, and Bentley has found a spot
near the top of Atlantic Hockey. With all the region’s
success thus far, its crop of Hobey Baker Award candidates is very
deep. Here are six to watch as the season gets ready to wind
down:

6. Brett Gensler

Bentley

Gensler has been one of the most
underrated Hobey candidates over the past two seasons, but the
Falcons’ success in Atlantic Hockey this year has helped the
Missouri native gain notice. With 15 goals and 33 points already
this season, he has become Bentley’s Division 1 career record
holder in both categories.

Before Gensler racked up exactly
40 points in 35 games last year, no Falcon had posted consecutive
seasons at, or above, that mark in D-1, so he is well on pace to
make it a three-peat.

5. Kellen Jones

Quinnipiac

A member of another one of the
nation’s terrific trios, Jones has been a force on the
Bobcats’ top unit along with twin brother Connor and freshman
sensation Sam Anas. Kellen has played in each of QU’s 27
games and is third to SLU’s Carey and Anas in the ECAC
scoring race with a solid 31 points.

Much of Jones’ successive
point production came in the beginning stages of the season as he
chalked up points in nine of the first 11 games, including a
game-winner over UMass Lowell. The speedy winger (or, very
possibly, one of his dynamic mates) will look to make it two
consecutive Hobey finalists after goaltender Eric Hartzell advanced
to the final three last year.

4. Connor Hellebuyck

UMass-Lowell

The River Hawks rode Hellebuyck
to the Hockey East title and a Frozen Four berth last season, but
local boy Doug Carr (Hanover, Mass.) has established himself again
in his senior season to create quite a tandem for a team poised to
return deep into postseason play. Over seven games from Dec. 28 to
Jan. 18, UML lost just once, with Hellebuyck making three starts,
going 2-0-1 and allowing just four goals in that stretch.

Hellebuyck has the slight edge
in a body of work as his save percentage and goals-against are in
the nation’s top three through 13 starts. Carr, who was
incredible as a sophomore before taking a dip last year, was 2-1-1
in between with both wins coming over a solid ECAC club in
Clarkson.

3. Ryan Haggerty

Rensselaer

His numbers might not be as
staggering as those of Gaudreau or Carey, but Nutmeg State
native Haggerty (Stamford, Conn.) has made up for it with balance
in a breakout third year with the Engineers. Most impressive is a
fantastic start to the season, which included multi-goal outings in
three of RPI’s first four games, including a pair of strikes
in a road win over BU.

The former member of the U.S.
National Team Development Program scored just seven goals in 35
games as a rookie and has surpassed his ECAC-best 18-goal and
26-point total from a season ago through just 20 games.

2. Greg Carey

St. Lawrence

Gaudreau’s closest
competitor for the national scoring lead for the majority of the
campaign has been the Saints veteran out of Hamilton, Ont. Carey
was a top-10 finalist for last year’s Hobey along with
graduated teammate Kyle Flanagan, whose exit from the top line made
way for Greg’s younger brother, Matt.

The elder Carey has been stellar
for head coach Greg Carvel, having scored a national-best 21 of his
40 points with a man advantage, including 18 helpers. He has
stepped up his game on the big stage, posting five points each in
weekend sets against powers Maine and North Dakota.

1. Johnny Gaudreau

Boston College

A Hobey Hat Trick finalist last
season, Gaudreau, from Carneys Point, N.J., has been nearly
unstoppable for the Eagles this year and likely will be among the
final candidates for the prize again. Since being paired with
seniors Bill Arnold (Needham, Mass.) and Kevin Hayes (Dorchester,
Mass.) on Dec. 6, his play has ratcheted up a notch, with nine
goals and 23 points in a span of 10 games.

He has padded his national
scoring lead over that stretch and has posted points in 24 of
BC’s 25 games this year, including a stretch of 19 straight
(18-22-40) through the close of January. If that was not impressive
enough, he leads the nation with a plus-29 mark and is tied for the
high mark with five game-winners.